Dubai Court Overturns Life Sentence in Drug Trafficking Case
A Gulf national's life sentence was revoked by a Dubai appeals court due to conflicting testimonies and lack of evidence linking him to the alleged crime.
In a significant legal development, a Dubai court has overturned a life sentence imposed on a 27-year-old Gulf national found guilty of drug trafficking.
The ruling was reversed after the appeals court identified serious inconsistencies in the evidence presented during the initial trial.
The accused was charged with supplying drugs to two men, an Iranian aged 48 and a Dutch national aged 27, who were apprehended during a police raid in a Business Bay apartment.
Following their arrest, both defendants confessed to using drugs and implicated the Gulf national as their supplier, stating that they had purchased cannabis oil, herbal mixtures, THC-infused vaping devices, and other drug paraphernalia.
Testimonies revealed that the Iranian claimed to have paid Dh1,000 to the Gulf national for the drugs, whereas the Dutch national asserted his expenditure was Dh2,000.
Taking these claims into account, the Criminal Court sentenced all three men to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Dh500,000, along with deportation orders.
Upon appealing the decision, the defense attorney, Mohammed Al Awami Al Mansouri, argued that the initial conviction was based on unreliable testimonies lacking corroborative evidence.
He pointed out substantial discrepancies in the statements provided by the co-defendants.
Notably, the Iranian's version changed between his police statement and his later testimony, which raised doubts about the credibility of the claims against the Gulf national.
Al Mansouri highlighted that the Dutch national's initial admission suggested that the Iranian had no direct transaction with the Gulf national, further complicating the prosecution's narrative.
Additionally, he clarified that the Gulf national was not initially mentioned in the police investigation and was arrested at the airport while traveling for Umrah.
Crucially, no drugs were found in the Gulf national's possession at the time of his arrest, and there was a lack of forensic evidence linking him to the allegations.
Investigators did not analyze the bank account related to the case or verify the phone number attributed to him, further diminishing the prosecution's stance.
Consequently, due to the absence of concrete evidence establishing a connection with the purported criminal activity, the appeals court overturned the previous conviction and acquitted the Gulf national.
In a separate initiative aimed at digitizing public services, tenants in Dubai can now update their Ejari rental registrations via WhatsApp.
This move, part of a broader effort to streamline governmental procedures, allows residents to manage their rental records without necessitating in-person visits.
The Dubai Land Department reported that around ten service trustees are now available through WhatsApp to facilitate these updates.
The service utilizes the 'Aqari' platform, which was launched in August 2024, allowing for more efficient management of property-related transactions.
Dubai's rental market is also seeing adjustments with moderate rental increases in various sectors, reflecting the ongoing evolution of the real estate landscape in the emirate.
The implementation of a real-time digital Rental Index has mandated that landlords adhere to a rating system for justifying rent hikes, aiming to foster transparency in rental practices.
The ruling was reversed after the appeals court identified serious inconsistencies in the evidence presented during the initial trial.
The accused was charged with supplying drugs to two men, an Iranian aged 48 and a Dutch national aged 27, who were apprehended during a police raid in a Business Bay apartment.
Following their arrest, both defendants confessed to using drugs and implicated the Gulf national as their supplier, stating that they had purchased cannabis oil, herbal mixtures, THC-infused vaping devices, and other drug paraphernalia.
Testimonies revealed that the Iranian claimed to have paid Dh1,000 to the Gulf national for the drugs, whereas the Dutch national asserted his expenditure was Dh2,000.
Taking these claims into account, the Criminal Court sentenced all three men to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Dh500,000, along with deportation orders.
Upon appealing the decision, the defense attorney, Mohammed Al Awami Al Mansouri, argued that the initial conviction was based on unreliable testimonies lacking corroborative evidence.
He pointed out substantial discrepancies in the statements provided by the co-defendants.
Notably, the Iranian's version changed between his police statement and his later testimony, which raised doubts about the credibility of the claims against the Gulf national.
Al Mansouri highlighted that the Dutch national's initial admission suggested that the Iranian had no direct transaction with the Gulf national, further complicating the prosecution's narrative.
Additionally, he clarified that the Gulf national was not initially mentioned in the police investigation and was arrested at the airport while traveling for Umrah.
Crucially, no drugs were found in the Gulf national's possession at the time of his arrest, and there was a lack of forensic evidence linking him to the allegations.
Investigators did not analyze the bank account related to the case or verify the phone number attributed to him, further diminishing the prosecution's stance.
Consequently, due to the absence of concrete evidence establishing a connection with the purported criminal activity, the appeals court overturned the previous conviction and acquitted the Gulf national.
In a separate initiative aimed at digitizing public services, tenants in Dubai can now update their Ejari rental registrations via WhatsApp.
This move, part of a broader effort to streamline governmental procedures, allows residents to manage their rental records without necessitating in-person visits.
The Dubai Land Department reported that around ten service trustees are now available through WhatsApp to facilitate these updates.
The service utilizes the 'Aqari' platform, which was launched in August 2024, allowing for more efficient management of property-related transactions.
Dubai's rental market is also seeing adjustments with moderate rental increases in various sectors, reflecting the ongoing evolution of the real estate landscape in the emirate.
The implementation of a real-time digital Rental Index has mandated that landlords adhere to a rating system for justifying rent hikes, aiming to foster transparency in rental practices.